Tag: South Africa

The concept of organised crime often evokes images of mafia-like figures and secret societies involved in acts like drug trafficking and murder. In reality, however, the organised criminal economy is mostly sustained by unsophisticated and ad hoc criminal networks, along with corrupt relationships. Sophisticated and structured criminal groups do exist, but these are not the only form of organised criminality.

South Africans woke up on Saturday morning to the news that a coup d’état was taking place in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, with the country’s prime minister fleeing in fear for his safety. While the news came as a surprised to many South Africans, the ongoing power struggle between Prime Minister Thabane and Deputy Prime Minister Metsing that led to the suspension of Parliament this year provide the backdrop to the recent coup.

For the most part, the only unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – or drones – that catch our attention are the ones that roam the skies of Afghanistan and Pakistan, hunting insurgents and/or terrorists. While these drones sour public opinion around the world, small fleets of drones have been helping developing countries confront major security problems.

Policing in South Africa is once again in the spotlight after a series of incidents which are seen to highlight police brutality and corruption. In recent months the news in South Africa has been dominated by the activities of the South African police service (SAPS), and some have gone as far as to say that policing in South Africa has reached a crisis point.